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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 19, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: phishing ( 76 ), phone scam ( 46 ), romance scam ( 70 ), Scams ( 1,368 ), text messaging ( 36 ), text scam ( 23 ), voice cloning   

  Scam Round Up: 3 phone scams worth noting 

  

  By Greg Collier

  This week in the Scam Round Up, we’re discussing three scams related to phones that have been in the news a lot recently.

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  Our first scam has been affecting both T-Mobile and Verizon customers. Users of both services have reported receiving text messages offering them a free gift. The text messages say, “Your bill is paid for March. Thanks, here’s a little gift for you.” The text message also contains a link for customers to click on to get their free gift. These messages are not coming from the phone providers, but instead are coming from scammers. If a customer clicks the link, they’ll be taken to a page where they’ll be asked for their personal information under the guise of verifying their identity. Or, they’ll be asked for payment to cover the cost of shipping the supposed free gift. Of course, there is no free gift to be had. If you receive a text message like this, it’s best just to ignore and delete it.

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  The next phone scam is one of those scams that would be ingenious if it wasn’t so harmful. In this scam, scammers are calling their victims and asking them one question, “Can you hear me now?” The scammers are hoping that the victim gives them a ‘Yes’ response, so the scammers can get a voice recording of the victim. This is so the scammers can use the victim’s recorded voice as a voice authorization for any number of reasons. Such voice authorizations can be used to make purchases or access a victim’s bank account in some situations. If someone you don’t know calls you and starts asking you questions, it’s advised that you do not respond. Another way to protect yourself from this scam is to use the ‘if it’s important enough, they’ll leave a voice mail’ method.

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  Our last scam has been problematic for us to post about since it involves some adult themes. In this scam, victims receive a text message that comes attached with a picture of a young woman. The text messages say something along the lines of “I was hoping we could repeat last night” or “I haven’t heard back from you, did I do something wrong?”. Many people have responded to the texts, telling the sender they have the wrong number. This lets the scammer know that the victim’s number is a legitimate phone number. In some cases, the scammers have sent explicit images trying to instigate a romance scam. In other cases, victim’s have been lured to dating sites where they’re asked to pay money. Much like the previous two scams, you should not respond to the scammers. If you do, it lets them know that someone is at that number and can be targeted for other scams in the future.

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  Since most of us carry are phones with us everywhere we go, scammers can technically target someone at any time of the day, no matter where they are. Hopefully, we’ve given you the knowledge to protect yourself against such scams.

   

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  Geebo 8:00 am on April 6, 2022 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: FBI ( 22 ), Scams ( 1,368 ), virtual kidnapping ( 45 ), voice cloning   

  FBI: Voice cloning used in kidnapping scams 

  

  By Greg Collier

  You receive a phone call where the caller says they’ve kidnapped one of your loved ones. You ask to speak to them, and the voice on the phone sounds exactly like them. But it’s not actually your loved one. Instead, it’s a scammer who’s using a technology to mimic your loved one’s voice. It sounds like something that could only happen in a movie. However, not only is it possible, the FBI is saying that it’s happening now.

  Voice cloning technology is typically used by people who can no longer speak on their own due to medical reasons. The FBI has issued a warning that scammers are using the technology in virtual kidnapping scams. In the virtual kidnapping scam, scammers will call their victim claiming they’ve kidnapped one of the victim’s loved ones and is holding them for ransom. The supposed kidnap victim is almost always safe and unaware, but the scam victim doesn’t know that at the time. On the more low tech side, the scammers will have someone screaming in the background to make it seem like the victim’s loved one is being abused. But now, the FBI is saying that scammers are using the expensive voice cloning technology to mimic the voice of the victim’s loved one.

  Scammers can get just about anyone’s voice by calling them and engaging them for a few minutes. Once the scammers have enough of that person’s voice recorded, they can use it to imitate that person’s voice almost perfectly. This tactic can go a long way in convincing a victim that the kidnapping is real.

  To better protect your loved ones against such scams, it’s recommended that you set up a code word to ensure that they’re talking to the person they say they are. If you receive a call that you suspect may be a cloned voice, you can always ask the caller a question that only they would know. And as always, if you can, contact someone else in your family to make sure that the person who’s been supposedly kidnapped, is safe and sound.

   
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  Geebo 8:00 am on October 1, 2021 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Android ( 8 ), apps ( 15 ), gift cards ( 101 ), Google Play Store ( 2 ), identity theft ( 107 ), robocalls ( 8 ), Scams ( 1,368 ), subscription fees ( 5 ), voice cloning   

  Scam Round Up: Android Apps, Recorded Calls, and more 

  

  By Greg Collier

  Today, we’re closing out the week with another trio of scams that you may not normally come across in your daily life.

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  Internet security experts are reporting about a wave of apps from the Google Play Store that have scammed Android users. The apps vary from photo editing to astrology, but their real purpose is to add charges to your phone bill. The apps tell users that they’ve won some form of free gift. All the user needs to do is enter their phone number into the app. However, instead of receiving a gift, the app signs users up to a monthly subscription fee of $42 a month that’s added to the user’s monthly phone bills. For some users, that’s more than double their monthly phone bill. Even though there’s an app in the Play Store, that doesn’t make it automatically secure. Always checks the permissions the app is asking for and avoid giving the app makers any more personal information than they need.

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  Robocalls have been a scourge plaguing humanity for a few years now. It’s safe to assume that most of us have received a call asking us about our car’s warranty, even if some of us don’t own cars. However, some of these spam robocalls are more sinister than they appear. According to security experts, your only response to these calls should be to hang up. The last thing you want to do is say anything on these calls. The call will ask you if you want to stop these calls, just say yes. If you say yes, scammers can record your voice and use it to authorize a fraudulent purchase on your credit card. It also shows that there is someone at your phone number, which could result in you being targeted for more scam calls. While some people like to engage scammers, it’s a better strategy to just hang up.

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  And of course, we can’t talk about scams without usually talking about gift cards in some form or fashion. A couple in North Carolina randomly received a gift card in the mail that was supposedly worth $400. The couple contacted their local news channel to see if this was a scam and of course, it was. How the scam works is the letter will contain a web link you need to go to in order to activate the card. Once you go to the link, you’re asked to input personal information such as your name, date of birth, and social security number. If you do this, your identity is almost immediately stolen. Please keep in mind that gift cards are the currency of scammers and should only be used for their intended purpose.

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  Thank you for reading, and have a great and safe weekend.

   
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  Geebo 9:00 am on February 27, 2020 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: phone scam ( 46 ), Scams ( 1,368 ), voice cloning   

  Are you safe from voice cloning? 

  

  It used to be if you saw someone’s voice being mimicked on the phone it was either in a movie or TV show. Now, thanks to advancements in technology voice cloning has become a reality. All someone would need is just a few recorded phrases from you to use artificial intelligence to construct a program that imitates your voice almost flawlessly. There have already been instances where voice cloning has been used against businesses where a cloned voice was used to direct funds to a con artist. it’s now being reported that individuals are being targeted as well.

  The way scammers can get a recording of your voice is just by calling you and trying to get you to interact for just a few minutes. With that, they can then pose as you on a voice call to do any number of things. One of the biggest concerns about voice cloning is it being used in grandparent scams. If the scammers have a voice copy, they can pretend to be anyone related to their victim and swindle them out of their savings. The potential of voice cloning being used in grandparent scams has gotten to the point where even the Attorney General of Florida is warning residents about it.

  [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lutmolzcyws%5D

  To better protect your loved ones against such scams it’s recommended that you set up a code word to ensure that they’re talking to the person they say they are. If you receive a call that you suspect may be a cloned voice you can always ask the caller a question that only they would know. And as always, if you can call someone else in your family to make sure that the person calling is who they say they are.

  With the number of scams that are taking place over the phone these days, could we be seeing the decline of phone calls as a way of communication? Within a generation will we all be using devices that only text and make no calls or will a voice cloning detector be developed by then? Only time will tell.